TORONTO — Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Sylvia Jones defended on Wednesday the province's approach to the measles outbreak as new infections increase sharply and criticism mounts.
The latest public health data released last week showed there had been 223 new infections across Ontario in the previous week.
That brings the total number of people in the province who have fallen ill from the virus to 1,243 since October. That includes 84 people who have been hospitalized, 63 of them children.
Almost all of the measles cases are tied to a multi-jurisdictional outbreak that began with a travel-related case in New Brunswick and spread to Ontario and Manitoba.
Chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore sent a memo to local public health units in March stating the origin of the outbreak was a large gathering with guests from Mennonite communities in New Brunswick last fall.
Vaccination rates within those communities are low, Moore has said.
Those low vaccination rates are a problem, Ford said.
"How do you force someone to grab their kid and start jabbing them with a needle?" Ford said. "It's a problem, I agree, but we're throwing everything in the kitchen sink at this."
Ford said the province is sending 150,000 units of the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine across the province and has spent $2 million on advertising to get the word out about the vaccination push.
Jones said Moore has been helping local public health units where the outbreaks are occurring. Moore directed public health units more than a year ago to focus their efforts on childhood vaccinations.
When asked if the province's approach was working, Jones said: "I believe it is."
"Look, there's no doubt that there are outbreaks in certain communities and the focus needs to be on first reminding caregivers, parents the value and the efficacy of a measles vaccine that has been in place for over 50 years in the province of Ontario," Jones said.
She said there's no vaccine shortage and defended the province's communications strategy, saying public health units are speaking with caregivers about the value of a measles vaccine.
Liberal health critic Dr. Adil Shamji, an emergency room physician, said he was flabbergasted by Jones's comments.
"It is inexplicable to me, absolutely inexplicable to me that the minister of health could stand at a press conference this morning and say that the government's measles response is working," he said.
The government needs to significantly increase its public education on the problem, he added.
"I have always found that patients, when given the right tools, the right information and the right recommendation, ultimately do the right thing," he said.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles said she had no idea why the health minister believes the government's approach is working as the infection spreads more widely.
"The growing number of cases and the fact that we have now outpaced the United States in measles cases is certainly not success, right?" Stiles said. "They're failing us."
Jones's comments came at a news conference where she announced the province would invest up to $300 million to build 17 new and expanded primary care teaching clinics in communities where people need more family doctors.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2025.
Liam Casey, The Canadian Press
